Whitmer Heads List of All-SAC Volleyball Honorees

ROCK HILL, SC -- Catawba‘s Kaitlyn Whitmer (Ferrum, VA/Franklin Co. HS) has been named the 2009 South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Freshman of the Year and was joined by two others on the All-SAC teams as announced by the conference office on Thursday.  Senior Mai Zoua Lo (Hickory, NC/Foard HS) and sophomore Shay Meeks (Kings Mountain, NC/Kings Mountain HS) were named first team All-SAC, while Whitmer was selected to the second team and the all-freshman team.

Whitmer is averaging 2.87 kills per set in her rookie season, second on the team.  The outside hitter has reached double digits in kills in 11 of 12 matches entering the league tournament and recorded a high of 19 during that stretch.  Whitmer has also posted 211 digs and served 24 aces.

Lo, who was named to the first team as the libero, leads the SAC and ranks 10th in NCAA II in digs at 5.59 per set.  Her 548 total on the season has pushed her into the #2 spot on Catawba’s career list with 1,827 digs over four years.  She has also served 19 aces.

Meeks, an outside hitter, leads Catawba and stands third in the SAC with 3.07 kills per set.  She has posted 18 double-figure kill matches, recording 20+ in two of the last three matches.  Meeks is hitting at just over 22% and is third on the team with 41 blocks.   

2009 SAC VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS AND AWARD WINNERS

ALL-SAC FIRST TEAM
First Team
Brooke Seaman, Brevard
Shay Meeks, CATAWBA
Mai Zoua Lo, CATAWBA, Libero
Katie Troyer, Carson-Newman
Amanda Horenkamp, Lincoln Memorial
Stormi Gale, Wingate
Lauren Billo, Wingate
Liz Willis, Wingate

SECOND TEAM
Stephanie Cutter, Carson-Newman
Carly Mozgai, Carson-Newman
Kaitlyn Whitmer, CATAWBA
Lauren Kiwacka, Lincoln Memorial
Candace Richardson, Lincoln Memorial
Lorena Maia, Newberry
Gina Coffaro, Tusculum
Maggie Malone, Wingate, Libero

ALL-FRESHMAN
Jasmine Clark, Carson-Newman
Angelle Hayes, Carson-Newman
Kaitlyn Whitmer, CATAWBA
Meredith Lutz, Lenoir-Rhyne
Sam Underwood, Tusculum
Bailee Price, Tusculum

Player of the Year - Stormi Gale, Wingate
Freshman of the Year - Kaitlyn Whitmer, Catawba
Coach of the Year - Shelton Collier, Wingate
Volleyball Scholar-Athlete - Chelsea Cancelliere, Wingate